


You can change right next to me

by HopeSilverheart



Series: Loving Em at 2AM [59]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alec Lightwood Loves Magnus Bane, Alternate Universe - Human, Bullying, Childhood Friends, College, Drunk confessions, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Getting Together, Growing Up, Growing Up Together, High School, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Magnus Bane Loves Alec Lightwood, Mutual Pining, Pining, Protective Alec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:55:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25174249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeSilverheart/pseuds/HopeSilverheart
Summary: Magnus wanted to be mad at Alec for a great deal of things. He wanted to be mad at him for staying on the East Coast, for being two years younger, for loving his siblings so much, for being so snarky all the time, for being so perfect, but he honestly couldn’t be.He couldn’t be, because he had been falling in love with him for a good amount of time, and there was no stopping his heart now.Or: Magnus and Alec grow up together and fall in love, aka 5 times Magnus and Alec are just friends, and 1 time they're something more.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Loving Em at 2AM [59]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764400
Comments: 13
Kudos: 155





	You can change right next to me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thatnerdemryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdemryn/gifts).



Magnus hated school more than he hated anything else in the world, and that was saying something.

His mom always told him he should be grateful for the education he was being given, the chance to learn things she had never been able to, but Magnus didn’t see the appeal. Yes, he loved his classes – excelled in them, even – but that didn’t make up for all the bad things he had to deal with when there was no teacher around to supervise him and his classmates.

He was in the third grade and, although his two first years at school had been fine, things had taken for the worse when he had been placed in a class with a bunch of bullies who spent all their free time making fun of him and generally making him feel like he didn’t belong. He hated it enough that he had once tried running away to show his mom how bad things were.

Of course, all that had gotten him was a week of grounding and enough lectures that he could barely remember his own name at the end of them. He had said sorry, but he had never regretted his actions, because at least his teacher had payed a little more attention to him for the week that followed, which meant less bullying.

But then life had gone back to normal, and school had gone back to being his least favourite part of the day. Some of the kids mocked him because he was Asian and didn’t look like them, and others mocked him because his clothes were always a little ragged, but he could take those children. Their words hurt him, but he had heard them enough that he could mostly ignore them.

However, there was a group of four boys who liked to relentlessly annoy him and constantly came up with new insults that cut straight through his defences. They also liked to knock him down, which was never fun and, even though Magnus tried to avoid them most of the time, they still found ways to corner him and bring tears to his eyes. He hated being weak, but there was something about them that was just slightly meaner than all the other kids.

This week, they had decided to comment on his most recent fashion choice: the nail polish he had stolen from his mother’s bedroom. She had frowned when she had first seen him play around with the bottles and had even opened her mouth as though to scold him, but then she had just shaken her head fondly and showed him how to apply it correctly.

The bullying had started immediately. The girls had made some nice comments about the colours, but Magnus could see that even _they_ were confused about why he was something that was ‘meant for girls’. And of course, the boys were worse. The nicest ones just ignored him and shrugged when their classmates teased him, but the four boys he liked the least… They were merciless.

On the first day, they had taken him aside during break time and had told him he should act like more of a boy if he wanted to have friends, which had hurt him more than he cared to admit – after all, Magnus didn’t really _have_ friends, and maybe the nail polish was only making things worse. However, he liked how the colours made him feel, so he came back the next day with some blue to replace the purple, hoping the more boyish colour would make things better.

They didn’t. For three days, Magnus had to lay low and hide in the library and hope the boys didn’t find him. He didn’t fear for his body, because they only rarely pushed him down, but he _was_ afraid their words would make him cry again, for real this time.

And then they almost did.

Lunch time was always tough for Magnus because, even though he got along with most of the girls in his class and a few of the boys, he didn’t really have anyone he was close to. He wasn’t good at opening up about himself and his life, which meant he was often left alone if he didn’t make an effort to go up to people. And with everything that had been going on that week, he thought it might be wiser to eat alone. Which he then realised had been a terrible idea.

His bullies sat down with him, looking as innocent as ever, and then spent the first half hour of their break beating him down with their words and making mean comments about the way he was dressed, the multicoloured nail polish on his hands, the shoes he had chosen, the way he talked, his ‘sucking up’ to the teachers… They went on and on, and Magnus thought they would never stop.

And then his saviour came in the form of a doe-eyed, small child who was clearly in the first grade. He came up to them, frowning heavily and balancing his plate as well as he could, his tongue sticking out of his mouth in concentration, and he plopped himself down across from Magnus, right between two of the bullies. The other boys at the table took a second to stare strangely at the boy, but then they went right back to insulting Magnus.

“You shouldn’t even be in our classroom when you look like that,” one of them laughed. “I mean, who wants to look at you wandering around with all those colours displayed like you’re some sort of rainbow. My dad says you’re probably a Nancy boy, which means you’re not even a boy at all.”

Magnus felt tears stinging at his eyes as he realised he was being humiliated in front of a little boy who probably thought he was pathetic. Maybe he would even join in on the fun. But when he glanced up from his plate, Magnus saw the boy frowning, his hazel eyes turning darker than they had been seconds earlier.

“Maybe you should just stick to the girls’ locker room, if you like their clothes so much,” another boy jeered. “We don’t want you around us anymore. _No one_ wants you around anymore.”

“That’s not true.”

All heads snapped towards the younger boy, who was glaring fiercely at the bullies as though he was strong enough to take all of them down. Magnus’ heart warmed at the fire he saw building up in those pretty, wide eyes. The bullies, however, only sneered at the boy and shoved him until he almost lost his balance. Thankfully, he caught himself on the edge of the table and narrowed his eyes even further at the boys.

“You can’t just push me around,” he pouted. “And you can’t tell him he’s not a boy if he wants to be called a boy. _Are_ you a boy?”

The question was asked so innocently and kindly that Magnus wanted nothing more than to wrap the boy up in blankets and keep him forever. As a friend, of course, because he really needed more of those.

“I am a boy yes,” he nodded. “I’m Magnus.”

“Well, Magnus, I’m a boy too,” the hazel-eyed boy grinned. “I’m Alec, and I’m in the first grade!”

“Defended by a _baby_ , Maggie,” the leader of the group of boys laughed meanly, gesturing at Alec like he wasn’t worth his time. “No wonder you can’t find anyone who likes you, if the only ones who don’t care about your little girly things are two-year-olds.”

“Hey!” Alec exclaimed indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m six! And if Magnus wants to wear nail paint, then he can! And if I want to wear nail paint, then I can too!”

For a second, Magnus thought the bullies would keep on going and ignore Alec’s words, but it seemed like they didn’t want to risk getting in trouble for insulting one of the younger kids. So with one last glare sent Magnus’ way, they stood up with their plates and moved further into the cafeteria, leaving Magnus alone with his wide-eyed saviour, who had gone back to poking at his food as soon as the boys had left.

“Thank you,” he murmured, softening even more when Alec stared up at him and grinned brightly.

“You’re welcome,” he said cheerfully. “My mom says I need more friends, and friends defend their friends, so now we can be friends! If you want to, of course. I can even help you paint your nails!”

And really, how was Magnus supposed to say no to that, especially when Alec was looking at him so hopefully? Magnus needed a friend and, apparently, so did Alec, which mean they were the perfect combination. Besides, the idea of having someone to paint his nails with him was _really_ too tempting.

“Alright, I’ll be your friend,” Magnus smiled, and he would remember Alec’s victorious cheer for weeks after it happened, just as he would remember the way the little boy almost fell over in his excitement.

And from then on, the two of them would always be Alec & Magnus and Magnus & Alec, best friends who defended each other and painted each other’s nails when they were feeling sad.

* * *

Magnus could still remember how scared and lost he had felt when he had first entered middle school. He had been so excited, so eager to meet new people, make friends who liked his clothes as much as Alec did, and learn even more things than he had in elementary school.

The reality had turned out to be a lot more terrifying. He had gotten confused so many times in his first week that one of his teachers had taken him aside and asked him if he was alright. The thing was, Magnus had been doing fine. He had made friends quite fast in the form of a girl called Catarina – _Cat, please_ – and a grumpy boy called Ragnor. His classes had been going well, and he had loved the school’s atmosphere, which was a lot nicer than elementary school had been.

However, he hadn’t had Alec anymore, and it had completely thrown him off. He had spent his first month looking for his best friend everywhere only to remember he was still in elementary school, going through the same things Magnus had gone through at his age. It had been perplexing, and the only reason he hadn’t panicked had been because Alec had still been there every evening when Magnus had gotten out of school.

And now, it was Alec’s turn to go through the same thing, and he was determined to make the experience easier for his best friend. Of course, Alec wouldn’t really have to deal with the absence of Magnus, because Magnus would be _right there_ , but changing schools was still a huge adjustment, and Magnus wanted to make sure Alec didn’t suffer at all.

“Magnus, I’m going to be okay,” Alec whined as Magnus asked him if he was alright for the third time in ten minutes. “I can find my classroom on my own, and your friends are waiting for you so you should go join them. I promise I’ll be fine, and we can see each other at lunch just so you can check up on me.”

“Remember, you have to speak up if you want to make friends with the other kids but being polite and respectful to the teacher is the most important part of middle school,” Magnus recited seriously, ignoring his best friend’s eyeroll. “Actually, having fun is definitely the most important part, but you know what I mean! Come to me at break if anything goes wrong, and if any bullies try to get to you-”

“I know, Magnus,” Alec sighed dramatically, the perfect picture of pre-teenagerhood. “But really, I’m sure I’ll make friends soon enough! And if not, I’ll still have you… right? I mean, I know you have Cat and Ragnor and they probably don’t want to spend time with a sixth-grader, but…”

“Of course I’ll stay with you if you don’t find anyone as amazing as me,” Magnus huffed, smirking at Alec when his best friend pressed his lips together to stop himself from laughing. “Ah yes, I forgot finding someone better than me is literally impossible. Well, I guess I’ll have to keep you to myself and remind Cat and Ragnor that _you’re_ the one who saved me from the bullies all those years ago.”

“I’m still the most amazing person in your life?” Alec asked quietly, looking as young as he had when Magnus had first met him. “Even though I’m just a kid?”

“Of course you’re still the most amazing person in my life,” Magnus rolled his eyes. “You’re my best friend in the entire world, and no number of teenagers could change my mind. And if they try, I’ll- I’ll kick their butts! They can’t scare me anymore, especially not when I have Ragnor to glare them down into submission.”

“Ragnor _is_ quite scary,” Alec nodded mock-seriously, glancing back at the school when the bell rang and indicated the start of the day. “I’ll see you at lunch, alright? I promise! You have fun with your friends, and I’ll go make new ones! We’re going to have amazing days, Magnus!”

With that, he ran towards his homeroom, his backpack bobbing up and down as he hurried off. Magnus stared after him proudly for a few moments before sighing and making his way towards his own classroom. Unlike Alec, he had learned that the first bell was _way_ too early for his teachers a long time ago, and he took his sweet time to reach his friends.

It wasn’t like he wouldn’t have plenty of time to talk to them whilst they pretended to listen to their maths teacher.

And indeed, that was exactly what they did. They let their teacher take attendance, and then they whispered all through the lesson, laughing quietly and taking notes whenever it felt important. Their teacher probably knew what they were doing, but they were all good students and they weren’t exactly bothering anyone, so he – thankfully – didn’t say anything.

Magnus had never felt more grateful for having Catarina and Ragnor in his life, because he knew he would have spent the entire morning worrying about Alec otherwise. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his best friend to meet people, but Alec tended to come off as slightly cold at first, and he just really didn’t want his classmates to judge him too fast or tell him they didn’t want to talk to him, or-

“You need to stop worrying about him,” Catarina told him as they sat down for lunch. Magnus was feeling out of sorts, glancing over at the cafeteria’s entrance to try and spot Alec. “I’m sure he’s doing fine, and he’ll come over with one of his new friends and tell you he just had the greatest morning. Alec is a good guy, people will love him.”

“They _should_ ,” Magnus agreed. “But sometimes, people are a little bit stupid. I mean, look at Ragnor; he’s a great guy, but most people like to stay away from him because he’s too ‘mean-looking’.”

“Alec isn’t nearly as intimidating as I am,” Ragnor scoffed, flipping his non-existent hair over his shoulder. “Besides, having people not like me is my goal in life, but I know Alec actually wants to make friends, so things should have gone fine for him. And if not, I’m more than happy to talk to him. He’s a nice boy, even though I still don’t know why he would become friends with someone like _Magnus_.”

“I’m sorry, are you implying that-”

“ _Guys_ ,” Catarina cut their bickering off, pointing at the cafeteria door exaggeratedly, a worried frown on her face. Immediately, Magnus turned to look at the direction she was indicating, his heart clenching in his chest as he noticed a lonely, sad-looking Alec grabbing a tray and keeping his head down as he walked. “Maybe not such a great morning after all. Do you think we should…?”

“He’ll come find us,” Magnus shook his head, knowing the last thing his best friend wanted right now was people startling him out of his thoughts. “Well, he’ll come find me, and he’ll deal with you on the side because you’re needy friends who enjoy my shining presence.”

“Ah yes,” Catarina nodded. “The only reason why we befriended you: the fact that you’re always the centre of attention. I’m surprised your admirers haven’t arrived yet. Don’t you usually have a flock of girls around you at this time of the day? Maybe you’re not as handsome as you were last year.”

“Or maybe they’ve finally given up,” Magnus groaned. “I don’t want to _date_ anyone, Cat. I’m way too young for that, and so are they. I just want to have fun with my friends, enjoy my year spent in the same school as Alec, and pass all of my classes somewhat successfully. I don’t have time for kissing and going on dates to the library like Lorenzo does. And I’m not interested.”

“Thank god,” Ragnor laughed. “I wouldn’t want to spend time with someone who _chose_ to date you. I have no idea how you found Alec, but I have a feeling you won’t get so lucky twice, so I would stick to just a best friend for now.”

“And us,” Catarina added, looking at Ragnor like he was crazy. “You should also _definitely_ keep us, please. I don’t think I can live with just Ragnor for the rest of my life, or even just this year. Don’t abandon us for Alec, no matter how nice and sweet and sad he is. But don’t abandon him either, of course.”

“Of course,” Magnus nodded, and then Alec was coming up to them and they were all quieting down to see what he had to say. He looked so down, and Magnus’ heart stuttered painfully. This was the person he loved most in the world, and he hated seeing him look so _sad_ , especially on what was supposed to be one of the best days of his teenager years. “Alec, hi again.”

“Hi,” Alec said softly. “Can I sit with you guys?”

“We would be offended if you didn’t,” Magnus grinned, shuffling to the side so Alec could sit next to him. “I’ll always say yes to spending more time with my best friend; you know this. Besides, it looks like none of the kids in your class were smart enough to jump on the opportunity to become friends with someone like you.”

“No, I… I didn’t really talk to anyone,” Alec mumbled, glancing up at Magnus sheepishly. “I know I said I was going to try, but so many of them already know each other and I didn’t want to get in their way… Some of them look really nice, but I didn’t really know what I was supposed to say, so I just stayed quiet. No one bothered me, but I didn’t make any friends.”

“ _Yet_ ,” Magnus corrected, squeezing his best friend’s hand and smiling encouragingly at him when he looked up at Magnus. “You still have half a day, and if you don’t manage to talk to anyone today, you can talk to them tomorrow, or the day after that, or the one after, and so on. You’ll find someone who likes you soon enough, Alec. I mean, you’re the most amazing person I know, so of course you’re going to make friends. Just try to find someone who’s as alone as you are. I’m sure there’s at least another person who doesn’t already have friends, right?”

“I mean, there’s a girl that looked nice and was sitting by herself…?” Alec said, his tone rising as though he were asking a question.

“Perfect! Then your goal for the afternoon is to talk to her and become her very first friend!” Magnus exclaimed. “And as long as you promise you’ll still eat with me at least three times a week, I’m sure I’ll like her just as much as you like these two idiots.”

“But you’ll never like her more than you like me,” Alec added, glancing apologetically at Ragnor and Catarina, who just shrugged at him. It wasn’t like they didn’t know Alec and Magnus meant more to each other than anyone else. “Just making sure.”

“Of course I won’t,” Magnus chuckled, ruffling his best friend’s hair playfully and avoiding the nudge he sent his way. “I would be an idiot to like anyone more than I like you, especially now that we can spend all our time together like we used to. Our parents are going to complain about us not having any other friends again.”

“Then we’ll just have to introduce them to my other friends,” Alec grinned.

“ _Ooh_ ,” Magnus waggled his eyebrows. “Friends, plural? Feeling adventurous, are you Lightwood? Two seconds ago you were freaking out about talking to one person, and now you’re acting as though you’ll have a whole group of friends.”

“Well, if you could do it…” Alec said cheekily, shrieking when Magnus dove in to tickle him.

“Why you little brat!”

They spent the rest of the lunch hour like that, laughing and enjoying each other’s company and teaming up against Catarina and Ragnor. By the end of the break, Alec was looking a lot more enthusiastic than he had when he had first walked in, and Magnus was feeling very smug.

And that night, when Alec showed up with a blonde girl called Lydia and proclaimed her his very first middle school friend, Magnus couldn’t have been prouder.

* * *

Magnus fidgeted with his ring nervously. He had asked Alec to join him in the music room as soon as his classes were done for the day, but he was starting to wonder if his best friend had missed his text or if he had gotten busy with something else, or if-

“Sorry I’m late!” Alec burst into the room, cheeks flushed and a wide smile on his face. Magnus sighed relievedly, because he wasn’t sure he would have had the courage to do this on another day, and he also wasn’t sure he could have handled his best friend in a bad mood. “Lydia had to talk to one of our teachers about something, and then I forgot my bag, and just- Yeah, I’m sorry. I know you said this was important and I should have been on time, but…”

“It’s fine, Alec,” Magnus shook his head amusedly. “I was just worried you weren’t going to show up at all, honestly. You know you sometimes tend to forget things and get caught up in the moment, especially with try-outs for the spring season just around the corner.”

“Ugh, don’t even mention that, it’s making me nauseous,” Alec said dramatically, holding a hand up to his stomach as he sprawled himself out on the floor, completely ignoring the chair Magnus had pulled out for him. “I know I’ll probably get picked for the team, but what if I don’t?”

“Stop with all the what ifs,” Magnus huffed. “You’re amazing, and the coach would be crazy not to see that. Besides, you got in for the fall season, didn’t you? No reason for things to be any different this time. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I _did_ have something to talk to you about, and I was going to get to that right before you shoved your little freshmen problems in my face.”

Alec opened his mouth to snark back at Magnus, but then he caught his eye and frowned, flipping onto his stomach so he could stare at Magnus intently. Clearly, something on his face was showing Alec just how nervous he really was about this conversation.

“Alright, shoot,” Alec said, raising his eyebrows questioningly. “I haven’t seen the infamous Magnus Bane look this nervous in years, so spit it out.”

“Well I haven’t seen _the_ Alec Lightwood so at ease since he started high school, so I suppose we’re all going for new things today,” Magnus sniped, sighing when Alec only pinned him with one of his famous impassive stares. “Alright, so maybe I’ve been a little bit worried about something, but it’s not a big deal! I just wanted you to be the first person to hear about it, even though I’m ready to tell other people. Honestly, it’s nothing bad, but…”

“ _Magnus_.”

“I’m bisexual!”

The words came out a lot louder than he had wanted them too, and he slapped his hands over his mouth immediately after, wondering if he had come off too strong. It wasn’t like he was afraid of Alec’s reaction, even thought his best friend might have already suspected it, but it was still a big revelation, and he wanted it to go as smoothly as possible.

After all, if he could come out to Alec and have things go well, there was no reason he couldn’t do the same thing with his other friends and his parents. Alec was the only one that really mattered, so the rest would be a piece of cake in comparison. Or at least he hoped so.

“Oh,” Alec said softly. “Okay then. I mean, that’s not completely surprising, although I wasn’t sure and I didn’t know and I didn’t want to assume, but… Yeah, that’s cool with me. Does this mean we should paint your nails in pink, blue, and purple this week? Show some pride for your flag. Or we could keep it simple if you don’t want to tell anyone else. Wait, is this about prom? Did a boy invite you? Are you going to be a part of a power couple? _Magnus_ , I need answers.”

And Magnus really wanted to give him those answers, except he was too busy holding back tears, because Alec… Alec was as perfect as ever, saying exactly what Magnus needed to hear and not even _trying_ to do so. He was just Alec, always there for his best friend and never fazed by what Magnus had to tell him.

Honestly, he wasn’t even sure why he had been worried. Alec hadn’t judged him for his fashion choices when Magnus had started to be more daring, and he hadn’t even batted an eyelash when Magnus had started putting on more make-up. He had been there for him when Magnus had been struggling with his anxiety, and he should have known there was no way in hell Alec would react badly to being told his best friend was _bisexual_.

Maybe it was because Alec just seemed completely uninterested in romance and Magnus had worried he wouldn’t understand what it meant exactly. Or maybe he had just been overthinking, as he so often did.

“Magnus? Hey, are you alright? You didn’t force yourself to tell me about this because you felt obligated to, right?” Alec frowned worriedly, and Magnus loved him even more for it. “Because if that’s the case, I can pretend I never heard what you just said and let you make a dramatic confession when you’re ready. I’ll even pull out all my acting skills and prove I _can_ lie if I’m determined enough.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Magnus chuckled. “And no, I didn’t force myself to tell you, but I think I underestimated how easily you would take this. I mean, I didn’t think you would react badly, but I was expecting more questions than just the ones about my nail polish and who I’ll be taking to prom. Or more accurately, who’ll be taking me, since I’m still just a junior.”

“ _So_ ,” Alec prompted him, widening his eyes minutely. “Who is it? Please tell me it’s not Lorenzo Rey, because I might scream if it is. I know he’s gay and very proud of that fact, and I know he’s not completely unattractive, but do you remember that time when you were in your last year of middle school and he came up to you and straight up threw his papers in your face asking you to make them better? Because that wasn’t okay, and I don’t care how much he’s changed in the past two-”

“Oh my god, Alec,” Magnus giggled uncontrollably. God, there were times when he wondered how two people as different as he and Alec could be best friends, and there were times like these when he remembered they were perfect for each other in every sense of the term. “I am _not_ going to prom with Lorenzo Rey, absolutely not. Never in my life will you catch me dancing or holding hands or even worse, _kissing_ that man. No, I’m sure he’ll find a very good guy for him, but it won’t be me. But you’re right, I did get invited by a boy to prom and, although there are also a few girls who asked me, well…”

“Wait, let me guess!” Alec exclaimed, sitting up and bouncing his leg up and down excitedly. “Okay, so I would say Imasu, but I know you guys stopped talking a few weeks ago, so I don’t think it’s him. Then there’s that boy from your chemistry class, but I’m not sure he’s really your type, so… Axel? Oh my god, it totally is, right? You guys have been dancing around each other and I thought it was just some weird posturing but you definitely have a crush on him!”

“I’m not sure I would say I have a crush on him,” Magnus rolled his eyes. “But yes, Axel asked me to go to prom with him and I’m tempted to say yes. The girls are all nice, but they’re also just… I don’t know, something about Axel is a little more interesting, and I really don’t want to be bored during my prom night.”

“Definitely not,” Alec said seriously. “Although the one you really shouldn’t screw up is next year’s, when it’ll actually be your turn to graduate. Shame we’re not in the same year, since we could have gone together if that was the case! And I would have gotten to see you get crowned prom king, and then do a wonderful valedictorian speech. I mean, you might still invite me to your graduation, but…”

“Of course I’m going to invite you to my graduation,” Magnus scoffed, hitting Alec’s knee with his foot. “And I expect to be invited to yours, when the time comes. Just because we’re not in the same class doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy each other’s big life events. Besides, prom isn’t as important as freshmen make it out to be. It’ll be fun, but the real magic is going to happen when I sneak you out of your house and take you out drinking.”

“That sounds illegal,” Alec pointed out, and Magnus burst out laughing. His best friend was so predictable sometimes, it was quite cute.

Not that there was a single thing Magnus didn’t find cute about his best friend, but that wasn’t something he really wanted to think about quite yet. Alec was still young, and they both had plenty of time to change, and he should be focusing on people like Axel rather than Alec, who couldn’t care less about love and kissing and all those things. Maybe in a few years, but right now…

Well, Magnus couldn’t afford to fall for his best friend, not when it would surely only end in heartbreak on his side of things. Better to go out with Axel, pretend like he wasn’t thinking about Alec every second of every day, and continue treating his best friend exactly as he had for the last decade or so.

Coming home for Christmas was one of Magnus’ favourite parts of the year. College was great, and he loved spending time with his friends there, but nothing quite beat coming back to his little town in New Hampshire and being greeted by Alec in front of his house.

Of course, Alec would be at university with him for the coming year, but until then, Magnus had to deal with not seeing his best friend every day. It had been just over a year, and he was honestly started to regret his decision to study in Los Angeles. The city was beautiful, but it was also miles and miles away from home, which meant no Alec outside of video chats.

It also meant even better reunions when they saw each other again, but not having to reunite at all would be a way more ideal. However, Magnus knew he couldn’t get everything at once. All he could hope for was a continued friendship with the boy – almost a young man – he loved most in the world. And so far, they had managed that, so he would relish in the small victories.

His cab turned onto the street he had grown up on, and Magnus’ entire body vibrated with excitement as he spotted a tall, dark, bundled up silhouette in the distance. It was late, late enough that his parents would probably be asleep, but _of course_ Alec had trekked through their entire city just to say hello to him as soon as he got back. That was just the way Alec was.

(Not that Magnus wouldn’t have done the same things if their roles had been reversed.)

It took all of his willpower not to tell his driver to just speed through this street, since no one else was around and the police certainly didn’t care what they did in the darkness of the night, but he managed – just barely. Instead, he tapped his foot anxiously and jumped out of the car as soon as it came to a halt, smiling sheepishly at his driver when the man stepped out after him and shot him an inquisitive look.

“Sorry,” Magnus said, handing over the required cash and getting his luggage out of the trunk before barrelling towards his front door and crushing Alec into a tight embrace as soon as he reached his best friend.

He couldn’t have said how long they spent standing there in each other’s arms, enjoying each other’s presence and familiar scent. Magnus realised, for the second time that year, that Alec really _was_ taller than him now, which was both a strange concept but also very right. It fit them, in a way; Alec protecting Magnus whenever he needed it, and Magnus filling up the small holes in Alec’s soul with his body and heart.

“Hey there, best friend,” Alec murmured. He was stronger than he had been just a few months ago, and his voice was just slightly deeper, even though he had gone through puberty long ago. Magnus had to hold back a shiver and remind himself that Alec wasn’t _quite_ 18 yet. “I missed you whilst you were off having fun in the sun. Good to know you didn’t completely forget about me.”

“As if I could ever really leave my best friend behind,” Magnus rolled his eyes. “Your place in my heart and life is permanent, Alexander, and you’d better get used to it. If you haven’t already, that is.”

The use of Alec’s full name was a relatively new thing. It had slipped past Magnus’ lips once when he had been tipsy and sad and desperate to see his best friend’s face. He had called him immediately, and the name had left his mouth before he could even think about holding it back. Alec hadn’t seemed to mind, so he had just… Kept on using it. And now, as he felt Alec tremble in his arms at the mere sound of his full name, he thought he had made the right choice.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Alec chuckled. “11 years might not be quite enough for me, Bane. Especially since you decided to abandon me and fly all the way to California. Maybe I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be around you.”

“Then please, let me remind you,” Magnus grinned, dragging Alec towards his house and opening the door as quietly as he could.

It took some gymnastics, plenty of giggling, and Alec’s newfound strength to get them upstairs unnoticed, but they eventually managed, collapsing on Magnus’ bed dramatically once his suitcase and bag had been dumped on the floor.

“God, why on earth would you bring your textbooks with you for _Christmas_ , Magnus?” Alec groaned, rubbing at his shoulders. “I swear I’m going to feel that in my entire body when I wake up tomorrow, and I will blame you for it.”

Magnus’ brain short-circuited at the poor phrasing, but he decidedly didn’t let it show on his face. He really didn’t want his best friend to know that Magnus’ mind was perpetually in the gutter, especially when it came to him. But god, the images Alec’s words brought to Magnus’ mind should have been illegal. This was his best friend, for heaven’s sake, not some random guy he had met at a bar or a party.

“We’ll see how you fare when you have to do the same thing next year,” Magnus scoffed. “There’s never enough time for studying, and I’m sure I’ll have plenty of downtime between the activities you have planned for us. Besides, you can ever be too prepared. I need my grades for the second semester to be even better than the ones for the first, and that’s not going to happen if I laze around during the holidays.”

“As if your grades could ever slip,” Alec huffed. “You’re an amazing student, Magnus, and you’ll ace your exams whether you study all semester long or do it the night before the exam. It’s one of the most annoying yet practical things about you. If we were studying the same thing, I would definitely take advantage of your incredible mental abilities.”

“You’re no slack either,” Magnus pointed out, though he turned to stare at Alec as his best friend’s words caught up to him. “Wait, does this mean you settled on a major? I knew you weren’t going to choose chemistry, since that’s really not up your alley, but what did you decide on? And please don’t tell me it’s law, because I’ll murder your parents if it is. Leave the judging and lawyering to Lydia, please.”

“Of course I didn’t choose law,” Alec scrunched his face up adorably. “I couldn’t live through a semester of that, let alone several years. No, my parents have accepted that on top of being gay, I also will not follow in their footsteps. At this point, I’m just afraid they’re going to pin everything on Max or Izzy to make up for their failure of a first son.”

“First of all, you’re not a failure,” Magnus murmured, poking Alec in the side until his best friend nodded reluctantly, narrowing his eyes at Magnus as he did so. “And secondly, just tell me what your goddamned major is, Lightwood. We don’t have all night! I may still be on Pacific time, but you’re definitely not, and you’re still young and innocent enough that I know you’re not used to staying up past ten at night.”

“I could stay awake a while longer,” Alec pouted, although Magnus could tell he was trying very hard not to yawn as he spoke. “But fine, I’m taking English Lit. I know it’s not the easiest or smartest choice, but it’s one of the only things I really love, and I think I could really like it and maybe make a career out of teaching or something, which will only piss off my parents more, but at this point…”

“At this point, we don’t give a shit what your parents have to say,” Magnus completed with a grin. “You’re allowed to be happy about studying English, Alexander. In fact, I think it suits you perfectly. And what about your first university choice? There are a few great ones in California, and I’m sure you’ll find one that’s not too far from UCLA so we can meet up on week-ends and… Why do you look like you’re about to say something I won’t like.”

“Because I’m about to say something you won’t like?” Alec grimaced, playing with the hem of his sweatshirt nervously. “I’m not going to university in California, Magnus. I can’t leave my siblings here with my parents, and I can’t come back every week-end if I’m on the west coast. There are some amazing universities in New York, and I’ve already talked to my counsellor about this, so… I want to be in the same city as you, I really do, but I’m not sure I can at this point.”

“Right,” Magnus whispered, trying to smile through the pain his heart was going through. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand why Alec wanted to stay on the East Coast, because he _did_. Maryse and Robert were hardly model parents, and Alec’s siblings would need him around. Magnus just wished that didn’t mean _he_ would have to live miles away from Alec for that much longer. “Yeah, I get that.”

“But you’re not happy about it.”

“Of course I’m not happy about it,” Magnus snorted mirthlessly, wiping away the tears that had slipped out of his eyes. “And it’s also too early for me to be this emotional over something that really isn’t the end of the world, but I- Goddamnit, Alec, I just wish we didn’t have to live so far away from each other.”

“I know,” Alec murmured. “I wish that too. Unfortunately, the world clearly wants to keep us star-crossed best friends away from each other. We’ll beat it eventually, though. Who knows, maybe you’ll get a job in New York after you’re done with university, and then we can enjoy the big city together and never be apart again. That sounds nice, right?”

“It does,” Magnus agreed. “But still, three whole years.”

“Three years is nothing in the face of forever,” Alec pointed out, and Magnus couldn’t help but chuckle lightly at his friend’s poetic words. If there was one thing Alec knew how to do, it was use his sentences to reassure Magnus and make him feel like he mattered. He would make a wonderful teacher someday. “Come on, let’s go to bed and enjoy the time we have together for now. You can yell at me about my poor life choices later, when you’re drunk and a little bit irrational.”

Magnus wanted to be mad at Alec for a great deal of things. He wanted to be mad at him for staying on the East Coast, for being two years younger, for loving his siblings so much, for being so snarky all the time, for being so _perfect_ , but he honestly couldn’t be.

He couldn’t be, because he had been falling in love with him for a good amount of time, and there was no stopping his heart now.

* * *

Magnus couldn’t believe how close he was to finally finishing his degree. After four years of slaving over papers and exams and projects, after four years of partying too late and getting completely hammered with his friends, he was finally about to make it. All he had to do was pass these last few exams, ace his papers, and he would be a free man, ready to be hired.

Ready to be hired in New York City, if all went well.

Alec had stared college almost two years ago, and Magnus craved his best friend’s company more than he craved anything else. He had come to terms with his romantic feelings a while ago now, but it still never failed to make his heart flutter when he thought about Alec and him, finally reunited and ready to spend all their time together. It was a dream of his, and it was so close to coming true.

But still far enough that Magnus was unashamedly drunk and reading to call his best friend to tell him all about his feelings and how much he missed Alec and all the reasons why Alec was the most amazing person in the world. Had he been sober, he would have remembered that his best friend was currently in a stable relationship and would have avoided himself a great deal of pain, but… Drunk Magnus wasn’t the smartest Magnus out there.

“Alexaaander,” he slurred over the phone as soon as his best friend picked up. He briefly frowned as he wondered what the time was over in New York City, but if his brain had been too tired to think, it was definitely too tired to do maths. He would apologise to Alec in the morning, once he had had some Advil and at least three cups of coffee. “Alexander, hello.”

“ _Magnus_ ,” his best friend sounded like he had just woken up, and Magnus felt bad for all of two seconds before he remembered what he had been calling Alec about. This was important, and Alec would definitely forgive him once he heard what Magnus had to say. “ _Hey, are you drunk? God, Magnus, I have to get up early tomorrow. You’re lucky I love you so much, because I would have definitely hung up already if you were anyone else_.”

Magnus opened his mouth to make a joke or apologise or _something_ , but then someone was speaking over the phone, someone who wasn’t Alec, and reality came crashing down.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, the alcohol in his system turning to led as he recognised Alec’s boyfriend in the background. “I didn’t know you had company. Well, I didn’t- I don’t know what time it is either. I think I’m a little bit more than drunk. But I’m home, so I’m safe!”

“ _That’s good_ ,” Alec said, and Magnus could hear the relief in his voice, which made him feel marginally better about himself. Not really, though, since the man he loved was in a great relationship with someone else, and that would never be okay. _“Yeah, I’ll be right back, I just really need to take this and make sure he’s okay. Go back to sleep, I don’t know how long this’ll take. I’m sorry for waking you up._ _Alright, Magnus, how about you tell me what’s up_?”

Magnus’ voice caught in his throat, and he suddenly felt like he was seconds away from throwing up. God, he loved Alec so much. So much that it hurt, most of the time, especially since he knew his love wasn’t returned. He had tried to date and get rid of this horrible infatuation, but apparently the world hated him and he was destined to love this one man until the end of times.

This man who had no idea how Magnus felt and probably only saw him as a best friend, because Fate wanted to screw with him. And yes, maybe Magnus was slightly more dramatic than usual because of the alcohol, but the point still held. He was in love with Alec, and Alec wasn’t in love with him. It was the simplest sad story he had ever heard.

“ _Alright, so you’re_ that _drunk_ ,” Alec sighed, shuffling around in his apartment until he settled down. Magnus could picture him perfectly, lounging on his sofa with his legs crossed over the edge. “ _Why don’t you tell me what’s going on? I have a feeling this is a little more serious than usual, because you’re usually at least conscious enough to answer my questions and laugh and say something. Is something wrong?_ ”

“Yes,” Magnus groaned. “No, I don’t know. I’m fine, but my heart is in so much pain. It’s so lonely, Alec. I wonder what it feels like to have a heart as full as yours, with so many people to feed it.”

“ _Magnus, you have plenty of people who love you too_ ,” Alec pointed out. He was right, too, because Magnus knew his best friend loved him, and he knew his other friends and his parents loved him too, but that wasn’t what he meant. Clearly, Alec caught onto that fact. _“But you know what it feels like; you’ve had it too. Love is wonderful, but friendship will always be there to hold you up whilst you wait to find your perfect person_.”

“Have you found your perfect person?” Magnus blurted out before he could think about it. His words weighed heavily in the air for a few seconds, and then Alec breathed in deeply and the tension was broken, replace by his best friend’s soothing voice.

“ _I’m not sure_ ,” Alec admitted. “ _Don’t get me wrong, Andrew is great, but… I’m not sure he’s the person I would want to marry, you know? We have a lot of things in common, and we fit together pretty well all things considered, but I’m not sure we’re going to last until the end of time. But that’s alright; I know I’ll find my perfect person eventually_.”

“Hmm,” Magnus nodded seriously, even though he knew Alec couldn’t see him. “I’ve already found my perfect person.”

This time, Magnus heard the breath Alec sucked in perfectly well and, had he been sober enough to analyse it, it would have filled him with hope. As it was, he just took it as a sign to keep on talking, which… Well, once again, his Drunk brain made questionable decisions and didn’t always understand what was going on around it.

“See, most people don’t know who they want to marry when they’re young, but I know exactly what kind of person I need in my life,” Magnus said slowly, his voice coming out as a drunk drawl that only someone who knew him as well as Alec could understand. “A man, first of all. I know I’m bisexual, but god do I want to marry a man. A tall, dark, and handsome man, just broody enough for my tastes but also with a wicked sense of humour when you know him better. And I want this man to be kind, too, because what’s humour and beauty if there’s no kindness to go with it?”

“ _Magnus_ ,” Alec said softly. “ _You’re very drunk._ ”

“Oh yes, I am,” Magnus giggled. “But that’s alright, because it means I won’t remember anything in the morning. Or at least I hope I won’t remember anything in the morning, because I’m pretty sure I would regret it. Although I’m not sure what there is to regret, since you already know everything about me.”

“ _I’m not so certain that I do_ ,” Alec murmured. Once again, Magnus thought there was something in his voice that should have tipped him off, but he was too busy going over his mental list of things he loved about Alec to focus on that. “ _There are probably a lot of things I don’t know about you, just as there are a lot of things you don’t know about me. We haven’t lived together for a very long time, Magnus. You’re hours and miles away, now_.”

“Ooh, right!” Magnus exclaimed. “I want a man who wouldn’t mind moving in with me almost immediately, because I can’t stand to bear to be away from him. And I want a man who hugs me tightly when I have nightmares, and who holds my hand when I’m having a panic attack. I need a protector, but I also need someone who knows they can be vulnerable around me. They should be determined, and smart, and full of other qualities princes have. He should love me just as much as I love him, and not be afraid to show it, because I won’t be.”

“ _Right,_ ” Alec said, his voice cracking. “ _That’s all very specific, Magnus. It almost sounds like you already have someone in mind. Not that you should tell me if you do, because you’re drunk and I would never forgive myself for making you admit something you wouldn’t if you were sober. Keep those thoughts to yourself, Magnus and please, for the love of god, have a glass of water._ ”

“Right, yes, water is good,” Magnus said, looking around himself and wondering if he could even locate his sink. “I don’t know where the water is. Alexander, I think I’m in my bedroom. Or my bathroom. Wait, are there lights in my bathroom? What were we talking about?”

“ _I’ll tell you again later_ ,” Alec said softly. “ _For now, I need you to get out of your bathroom – and yes, there are lights in there – and find yourself a glass to drink from. Once you’re done that, I need you to get into your pyjamas, or naked if that’s more practical, and go to bed. As much as I love talking to you, it is a ridiculous time in the morning for me, and you need all the rest you can get._ ”

“But then I’ll forget what we were talking about,” Magnus pouted, hoping his unhappiness translated well over the phone. “And I don’t want to forget about the wedding. We _were_ talking about a wedding, right? Hopefully mine. I love weddings, but I don’t have anyone to marry. Wait, I can’t have a wedding if I don’t have a person. Alexander, why were we talking about my wedding?”

“ _We weren’t,_ ” Alec sighed. “ _We were talking about the person you want to marry. The person you love, or dream of loving, at least. And really, we’ll talk about this later, when I’m not an entire country’s width away from you, alright?_ ”

“Alright,” Magnus hummed, gulping down the water he had somehow gotten into a glass and heading towards his bed, stripping his clothes off so he could lay down comfortably on his mattress and comforter. “I’m in bed.”

“ _Good_ ,” Alec said, and did he sound breathless? Magnus thought he sounded breathless, but he also thought the world was spinning, so there was a chance he was wrong. “ _Good. Go to sleep, Magnus, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. And I love you._ ”

“I love you too,” Magnus whispered into the phone. “Can’t wait to marry you.”

And then he was gone, lost in the land of dreams.

* * *

Graduation was finally upon them. Or upon Magnus, at least.

After years of sweat and tears, he was done. He was done, and his best friend was sitting in the crowd with a smile on his face, and Magnus had a contract with a lab in New York City sitting in his pocket. All his dreams were coming true, and Magnus could barely contain his tears of joy.

He had never felt so happy and overwhelmed in his life, and he couldn’t think of a single thing that could make his day better. Well, he could think of one thing, but there was no way _that_ was happening, so he wouldn’t get his hopes up for nothing. Instead, he watched as people gave long speeches and diplomas were handed out, and then he walked onto the podium, shook a few higher-ups’ and professors’ hands.

He felt like he was floating, like he was living some alternate, beautiful life that didn’t quite belong to him. Except it did. He was graduating. He _had_ graduated, and he would never have to live in Los Angeles ever again.

As wonderful as his years at UCLA had been, they hadn’t had anything on his childhood spent on the East Coast. They hadn’t had anything on Alexander, who had been in in New York all along, just waiting for Magnus to join him. His best friend had always been the best part of his life, and Magnus wasn’t sure he could live without him for a second longer. Or at least, not on two different sides of the country.

A few blocks he could handle, but miles and miles on end, he couldn’t. He had managed for four years, but no longer. Never again.

“Magnus, you did it!” Alexander snapped him out of his thoughts, embracing him tightly and twirling him around in his arms. “Look at you, UCLA graduate. I knew you would do it, Magnus. You’re the single most deserving person of this diploma in the world, and I can’t wait to see you blow everyone’s mind in some fancy lab.”

He looked so sincere, his eyes glinting with something that looked suspiciously like tears, and Magnus…

Magnus was so in love with him. He had been in love with him for years, and the only thing missing to his perfect day was Alec kissing him, Alec holding him as something more than his best friend, Alec _all over_ him.

“You know, if you keep looking at me like that, you’re going to end up tempting me into doing something stupid,” Alec murmured, and only then did Magnus notice he had been gazing at Alec lovingly for the entire duration of his messy thought process. “And I really don’t think you want me to screw up your graduation day, no matter how much I want to.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Magnus whispered right back, forgetting all about the other graduates around him, the parents, the professors, his other friends… The only person who mattered was Alec. “I think I might want you to take a chance, you know? This day is pretty perfect, and there’s nothing you could do to ruin this.”

Because Alec had broken up with his boyfriend two months ago, right before Magnus’ finals. He was pretty sure they had had a conversation about relationships at some point, but he couldn’t remember when for the life of him. All he knew was that one day he had woken up, and Alec hadn’t been dating anyone anymore. And suddenly, his best friend was texting and calling him all the time, checking up on him and reminding Magnus of why he had fallen in love with him in the first place.

And Alec, his wonderful best friend, had shown up to his graduation even though he was probably exhausted after his own finals and having to deal with his parents and siblings and everything that had happened over the last month of their lives. Alec had shown up, and he was looking at him like Magnus mattered more than anything in the world, and it felt like the moment Magnus had been waiting for was finally going to happen.

God, he didn’t want to get his hopes up, but Alec had never looked so serious and warm and nervous, and Magnus felt his heart ignite, his mind go blank, and his fingers tingle in anticipation.

Alec was single, and Magnus was single, and they had been friends for over a decade. They had been _best_ friends for that long, and Magnus had loved Alec for at least half that time, and he _yearned_ , he _wanted_. He had spent years hoping for this moment to arrive, and now it was here and he could barely think straight. Screw that, he couldn’t think straight at all, not when Alec was staring at him that way.

“ _Alec_ ,” Magnus breathed out, leaning in and losing his breath when Alec leaned in too, bringing their lips so close to each other that they were sharing air, sharing _everything_. “Alec, please tell me what I think this is. Please tell me I’m not making things up, that we’re not just- that this isn’t just you being my best friend.”

“Well, I _am_ still your best friend,” Alec chuckled nervously, licking his lips. His tongue brushed against Magnus’ mouth, and the older man whined at the feeling, which only made Alec’s eyes grow darker. “But a few months ago, I got a call from my best friend, the man I’ve been in love with for over two years, and he was so drunk he could barely talk, but _god_ , did he talk.”

“Oh my god,” Magnus groaned, burying his head into the crook of Alec’s neck and wishing he could just die of mortification already. He really didn’t want to hear this. “Please tell me I didn’t confess my love to you.”

“Not exactly,” Alec laughed, tugging at Magnus’ hair until he pulled away and met Alec’s stare again. “But you did say something about wanting to marry me, which was very flattering but also very confusing, since I was still dating Andrew at the time. I was with Andrew, but I already loved you, and then I suddenly learned that you loved me too. So yes, before you ask, you’re the reason why I left Andrew, and I haven’t regretted it for a single second.”

“Because you love me?” Magnus whispered, glancing up at Alec through his eyelashes.

“Yes, Magnus, because I love you,” Alec answered, smiling at him dopily and stroking his cheek lovingly. “Gods, I love you so much. I think I started loving you from the very first time I met you, when I saw a kid wearing nail polish even though everyone was trying to tear him down for it. I loved you when you helped me make new friends, and I loved you when you told me all your secrets, and I loved you even when you were gone, and then I loved you so much more every day, and I’ve never stopped. Because Magnus, you’re intoxicating. You’re the best person in my life, and you always will be, and I want nothing more than to be with you, because I’m never as good as I am when I’m with you. So, if you still want to marry me…”

“Don’t you dare propose to me on my graduation day, Alexander Lightwood,” Magnus gasped, although he smiled brightly at his best friend when Alec shook his head fondly. He wasn’t sure he would ever stop grinning, given how happy he felt at the moment. “But I suppose, if you insist… We could give it a try. I didn’t get a drunk phone call from my best friend all but declaring his love to me, but I guess I’ll have to settle for his romantic speech.”

“Oh yes, how tragic,” Alec said seriously, and then he was pulling Magnus even closer and glancing at him questioningly, his gaze darting from his lips to his eyes and back again. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he wanted and, thankfully for him, Magnus wanted the exact same thing.

Their lips crashed together perfectly, passionately, and it was even better than anything Magnus had imagined – and he had imagined a _lot_ of things, had daydreamed about Alec more than he cared to admit. They kissed for so long Magnus couldn’t breathe when they broke apart, and Alec looked so ravished it took all of his willpower not to go straight in for another kiss. However, he had something else to do first. Because he couldn’t remember a single thing he had said to Alec that night, and he wanted to make sure his best friend knew how serious he was about this, about them.

“I’ve been in love with you for so long, Alexander, I couldn’t even tell you when it started,” he said, resting his forehead against Alec’s and smiling warmly as he closed his eyes and remembered meeting Alec for the first time and seeing him grow up, year after year; day after day. “But you have to know, I love you so much it feels like my heart can’t handle it. I love you so much I would give the world up just to keep you by my side for a day longer. I love you more than anything in the universe, and although my proposal was a little early, I already know you’re my perfect person.”

Alec shook his head, and Magnus barely had the time to wipe away his best friend’s tears before the taller man was bending down and kissing him again, softly and lovingly and so different from the first kiss they had shared, but just as perfect.

They kissed and whispered ‘I love yous’ for minutes on end, basking in each other’s presence and realising that it was truly happening. They were _there_ and, even though it had taken them over a decade to get there, it was everything Magnus could have ever wanted.

He had been lonely, once upon a time, just a small child who couldn’t make friends because he preferred nail polish and science books to soccer and the outdoors. Then he had met Alec, and his life had changed.

And if he had anything to say about it, they would keep changing each other’s lives forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Heya guys! Thank you so much for reading! This wasn't beta'ed or edited and I was listening to Em and laws tell stories (of murders, mattresses & accordeons, just the usual) for the entire last part, so I apologise if the writing is a little distracted-sounding x) Em wanted a growing up together Malec fic, and so I tried to deliver with a one-shot! I hope you all enjoyed <3
> 
> Love, Junie. 
> 
> (find me on tumblr @hopesilverheart)


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